18 Best Grammar Checker Tools: Ranked and Rated

In a rush? The best grammar checker for most writers is Grammarly. In this article, we profile your options.

Several years ago, I worked as a sub-editor for a national newspaper. I learned from a senior editor how to edit and proofread copy by hand. We printed out news stories and marked them up with a red pen. It took hours. The editor explained the basic grammar checker bundled with a word processor often misses grammar mistakes. Thankfully, today it’s easier than ever for any writer to grammar-check their work with software.

I’ve spent dozens of hours testing the most popular grammar checker software and proofreading tools for bloggers, authors, content publishers, business owners, and writers of all types. Online grammar checker tools, like Grammarly, help write error-free emails, social media posts, reports, presentations, articles, blog posts, and even book chapters.

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I’ve carefully handpicked the best grammar checkers online, and here I’ll explain the pros and cons of each type of grammar software so you can pick the best one for your needs.

Quick Summary: Best Grammar Checkers
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Grammarly
  • Easy to use
  • Powerful online spelling and grammar checking
  • Has a 20% discount
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ProWritingAid
  • Affordable
  • Powerful self-editing reports
  • Has a 20% discount
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1. Grammarly

Pricing: From free trial available, then $29.99 per month

Grammarly desktop app
Grammarly’s grammar editor

Grammarly is a writing assistant that corrects grammar and gives you comprehensive writing feedback.

You can use the Grammarly tool to proofread and check for grammatical and spelling errors in social media updates, emails, blog posts, articles, and even early drafts of book chapters. I’ve used the Grammarly free and AI premium versions since 2015. 

If you’re running a business, check out our Grammarly Business Review.

Key Features

The Grammarly extension or browser add-on works as a punctuation checker and grammar checker Grammarly within your WordPress editor. You can check grammar and punctuation online. You can also run a spell check on your blog post as you write it using the Grammarly extension.

The free grammar checker version of Grammarly is ideal if you’re a writer on a tight budget. You can install a plugin for your browser and use Grammarly free to check your emails, social media updates, and anything you write online for errors.

Grammarly Premium is the paid version that checks spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It is helpful if you want to improve your knowledge of English grammar as it provides more writing insights and the reasons behind common grammar mistakes.

Apart from grammar checks, the Grammarly Premium version: 

  • Checks for readability
  • Corrects run-on sentences
  • Gives you suggestions to enhance vocabulary and sentence structure
  • Detects missing citations

How Much Does Grammarly Premium Cost?

  • Grammarly Premium monthly subscription costs $29.95 per month.
  • Grammarly Premium quarterly subscription costs $19.98 per month, billed as one payment of $59.95.
  • Grammarly Premium annual subscription costs $11.66 per month, billed as one payment of $139.95.

Grammarly also offers human proofreader services.

You can also send extracts of your work straight to a human proofreader within Grammarly for between 0.02 and 0.12 of a cent a word, depending on how quickly you want the document returned.

Grammarly Pricing
Grammarly Premium monthly subscription costs $29.95 per month

Using Grammarly as a Grammar Checker

The Grammarly editor identified the grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors in my text in a sidebar. I fixed them one by one by scrolling down. It also caught and fixed the punctuation and grammar issues that Microsoft Word ignored – like text written in the passive voice. You can, of course, write in this voice, but it’s less engaging to read.

Grammarly editor also indicates errors in sentence structure. Like other punctuation checker tools, it also recommended adding some commas in the text that Whitesmoke and Ginger ignored.

Apart from checking grammar and punctuation, the tool also has a plagiarism checker, which allows you to check your article against billions of web pages for unoriginal text.

If you don’t want to pay to check the originality of your content, try Dupli Checker – it is an efficient and free tool. However, Dupli Checker and all free plagiarism checkers limit how much you can check. Grammarly is much quicker, besides being more accurate as a plagiarism checker! I’ve reviewed the Grammarly tool at length. If you’re interested, read my full Grammarly test review. If you’re wondering what’s better than Grammarly, check out that article or read on for more insights.

Grammarly writing insights
Grammarly is much quicker, besides being more accurate as a plagiarism checker
Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Powerful online spelling and grammar checking
  • Great writing insights
  • Superb writing assistant
Cons
  • Expensive for new writers
  • Personal dictionary and style guide are Grammarly Business features
Best AI writing assistant
Grammarly
From $12 Per Month

We tested dozens of grammar checkers, and Grammarly is the best tool on the market today. It'll help you write and edit your work much faster. Grammarly provides a powerful AI writing assistant and plagiarism checker.


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2. ProWritingAid

Pricing: From free to $20+ per month

Grammar checking with ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid‘s grammar editor

ProWritingAid is a London-based software firm founded in 2012. This software tool acts as your virtual writing tutor and grammar checker, as well as a personal writing coach. 

Since writing this grammar checker review and recording the above video, I received several questions from readers and commenters about ProWritingAid. So I tested this spelling and grammar checker thoroughly. It’s one of the best grammar checkers for Mac.

Key features

The ProWritingAid grammar checker integrates with MS Word/Outlook, Google Docs, Open Office, Final Draft, and Scrivener. You can download a desktop app for Mac and Windows or install a plugin for your browser. ProWritingAid also offers Word and Google Docs plugins.

You can use the browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari to check your writing on any website, including Medium, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and Wattpad.

You can paste text and check for grammar and spelling errors in a web editor. Alternatively, you can upload a document containing your writing.

How Much Does ProWritingAid Cost?

ProWriting Aid offers a two-week free trial. After that, prices are as follows: This makes ProWritingAid the cheapest grammar checker in this review.

ProWritingAid pricing
ProWriting Aid provides a two-week free trial

Using ProWritingAid as a Grammar Checker

Using ProWritingAid as a grammar checker
Echoes, this feature identified places where I overused turns of phrase and other words

When I pasted my text into the ProWritingAid web app, it kept the source formatting, including my choice of colors and fonts. The grammar checker underlined grammar mistakes, spelling issues, and other suggestions.

At first, I found the various types of reports overwhelming. But they quickly made sense once I clicked through each suggestion or mistake. I particularly liked a feature called Echoes. This feature identified places where I overused turns of phrase and other words.

This is a valuable feature for improving your writing skills. It also identified some clichés in my writing. This struck me as particularly useful for fiction writers who want to improve the quality of their sentences and sentence structure.

The ProWritingAid premium version I tested only supports British and American English, so it’s less valuable if you write in more than one language or you’re learning English.

Grammarly and Ginger to identify these mistakes, and the user interface wasn’t as polished. Anyone who wants to write for the web, like a blog post, should try writing for an eighth or ninth-grade audience (a Flesch reading score above 70%).

The good news is, apart from specifying grammar rules, ProWritingAid will also help you figure out the readability of your articles based on the Flesch Reading Score. This is great for improving your web writing skills.

Why are readability and Flesch scores important?

Web readers have a shorter attention span than those consuming print (look a squirrel!). It is easy to simplify and tailor your blog post for this audience with ProWritingAid. Although the WordPress plugin Yoast also gives you this feature, it’s helpful if you write outside of WordPress.

ProWritingAid Works With Scrivener

The desktop version lets you open Scrivener files directly in ProWritingAid, fix typos and other grammar issues, and then save your file into Scrivener.

This is a clever feature. However, I prefer to run the final exported books file from Scrivener through a grammar checker before moving to Vellum for self-publishing. I also only use Scrivener these days for long-form writing and instead rely on iA Writer for producing articles like these.

In short: your mileage may vary depending on your writing workflow.

If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford the other premium grammar checkers in this review, ProWritingAid premium makes a good choice. It’s also useful for fiction writers and those who use Scrivener a lot.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Accurate
  • Powerful self-editing reports
  • Suitable for fiction writers and Scrivener fans
Cons
  • Slower than Grammarly
  • No mobile version

Grammarly and ProWritingAid are the two most popular grammar checkers available today. If you’d like to learn more about the right choice for your work, read our ProWritingAid vs Grammarly comparison.

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ProWritingAid
$3̶0̶ $24 per month

ProWritingAid is a powerful, accurate grammar checker and style editor. It's suitable for non-fiction and fiction writers and doesn't require a monthly subscription. Save 20% per month or year.

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3. Quillbot

Pricing: Free/$20 per month

Quillbot grammar checker
The Quillbot grammar checker is easy to use

Quillbot is a paraphraser tool developed by Rohan Gupta in 2017. It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to find and fix grammar errors. It contains a powerful great grammar checker, alongside other editing tools for academics and essayists. In our tests, it caught more grammar errors and issues than the basic grammar checker in Google Docs or Microsoft Word. You can use this grammar checker in the web app or a Chrome or Microsoft Word plugin. No other apps or plugins are available.

It’s a good choice if you want to rewrite or paraphrase existing copy quickly and easily. It’s a good choice for academics and essayists thanks to the other tools that come with the subscription, including a citation manager and academic plagiarism checker. However, the grammar checker lags behind Grammarly as it doesn’t have a writing assistant.

Read our Quillbot vs Grammarly comparison.

How Much Does QuillBot Cost?

You can try Quillbot for free, but it has a strict word limit and doesn’t grant access to all of its features. The premium version costs $20 a month.

4. Ginger

Pricing: $13.99 per month

The Ginger grammar checker
Ginger’s grammar editor

An Israeli startup created Ginger in 2007, making it one of the market’s more established spelling and grammar checkers. Like Grammarly, Ginger offers free grammar and spell-check and premium online proofreading software. However, development has slowed down versus some of the other best grammar checkers online today.

Key features

The quickest way to get started is by installing a Chrome extension or any other browser extension. It is also available for advanced tools like Slack. It provides apps for Windows and iOS… but none for Google Docs yet.

You can use a keyboard for Android. Or, you can paste extracts of your text into their web app. You can also use it as a punctuation checker to correct your text in Gmail.

Ginger reveals the character count, word count, and number of sentences for your text. The tool also helps you find and fix synonyms for commonly overused words like make. Ginger identifies grammatical errors and spelling errors by highlighting them in blue.

Like Grammarly, Ginger Premium offers more context for grammatical mistakes and identifies more issues than the free grammar checker version. For instance, it has advanced features to check for grammar rules like subject-verb agreement.

Interestingly, Ginger can translate extracts of your writing into 60 other languages, including Spanish, German, and even Yiddish. Sure, Google Translate also does this by checking a document for grammar issues, and translating it from within one app is useful.

A Ginger Premium subscription also includes a virtual writing tutor who provides video grammar lessons and tests. This English grammar checker feature should appeal to those learning or writing in the language for the first time.

This makes Ginger online grammar corrector ideal for non-English native writers—you could write in Yiddish, translate it to English, and then grammar check your writing all within Ginger.

You can also add words you don’t want to identify as mistakes to a personal dictionary within the Ginger grammar-checking tool. I could see this appealing to fiction writers with unusual character names for their stories.

How Much Does Ginger Software Cost?

At the time of writing this best grammar checker review, Ginger was offering a discount of 30% on its premium plans. You can also avail of a 7-day, 100% money-back guarantee.

Ginger Review

For this Ginger review, I used the Chrome extension of this grammar checker software. Unlike Grammarly, Ginger doesn’t offer a Mac desktop app yet. 

Like Grammarly, Ginger identified all of my grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, as well as the ones MS Word missed. However, Ginger was less insistent about fixing my inconsistent comma usage in the text.

Interestingly, Ginger Premium missed a spelling mistake in one of my headings. While you may wonder if it’s the spell-checker function is top-notch, this particular mistake can be attributed to a formatting issue. 

I also had to hover over all grammar and punctuation errors with my mouse rather than review them in a sidebar. This meant I spent more time correcting my grammar errors. It’s a minor gripe, but I’m a little obsessed with workflows!

It also didn’t suggest sentence improvements like Grammarly. And I ran into several other usability issues. I couldn’t get this app to fit into my workflow. To learn more, read our Ginger vs Grammarly comparison.

Pros
  • The free version of Ginger grammar checker software is relatively powerful
  • Useful for non-English native speakers thanks to a virtual writing tutor and translation features
  • Personal dictionary a nice addition
Cons
  • Hovering over grammatical mistakes slows self-editing somewhat
  • Some accuracy issues
  • Mac app is barebones
  • No support for Google Docs

5. WhiteSmoke

Pricing: From $5 to $11.50 per month

Whitesmoke grammar checker in action
WhiteSmoke’s grammar editor

The software company, Whitesmoke, was set up in 2002 to sell affordable online proofreading software for Mac and Windows. You can use WhiteSmoke to check your articles for spelling and grammar mistakes, punctuation mistakes, and more. It’s useful for writers and non-English speakers on a tight budget. It identifies errors in sentence structure.

WhiteSmoke works in almost all browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Opera, and Firefox, depending on what version you subscribe to. You can also download apps for iOS and Android.

Whitesmoke Essential is a version that’s compatible only with your web browser. WhiteSmoke Premium (what I tested) offers additional support and apps for Mac, Windows, Gmail, and MS Office.

The version of Whitesmoke I tested for this best grammar checker review features a translator, although it supports eight languages rather than 64 (no Yiddish!). WhiteSmoke also offers several templates for writing projects like cover letters, grant proposals, thank you messages, and so on. WhiteSmoke is one of the cheapest online proofreading software I’ve tested. Like the Grammarly editor, the company updated its user interface in 2018.

How Much Does WhiteSmoke Cost?

  • WhiteSmoke Essential costs $5 per month, billed as one payment of $59.95
  • WhiteSmoke Premium costs $6.66 per month, billed as one payment of $79.95.
  • WhiteSmoke Business costs $11.50 per month, billed as one payment of $137.95.

Unusually, Whitesmoke doesn’t offer monthly subscriptions. You can save more money if you buy a three-year subscription at the time of writing this best grammar checker review.

Whitesmoke cost
WhiteSmoke pricing

WhiteSmoke Review

WhiteSmoke is more affordable than Grammarly. It’s accurate, too (as you can see in my video comparison review). However, WhiteSmoke isn’t as fast or easy to use as Grammarly.

Making changes to your documents also involves an extra step compared to Grammarly in that you must export the final version to a text document. Like ProwritingAid, it’s cheaper than Grammarly. And, unlike ProWritingAid, you get to download mobile apps as well.

To learn more, read our Whitesmoke vs Grammarly comparison.

Pros
  • Affordable, provided you don’t mind paying yearly
  • Accurate
  • Relatively easy to use
  • Suitable for businesses
Cons
  • User interface lags behind Grammarly
  • Slower than Grammarly
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6. Microsoft Office 365

Pricing: Included with Office 365 

Microsoft Editor
Microsoft Word’s grammar editor

Microsoft is offering a grammar checker alternative for Microsoft Office 365 users. Released in March 2020, Microsoft Editor works well across multiple platforms, including Mac, iOS, Linux, Android, and Windows. It’s not as accurate or as insightful as Grammarly but a handy choice if you already use Microsoft Office 365 for work. To find out more, read our Grammarly vs Microsoft Editor comparison.

Pros
  • Rewrites sentences quickly and easily
  • Discounted plans for teams available
Cons
  • Free version is limited
  • Plagiarism checker only allows for 50 checks per month

7. Microsoft Word And Google Docs

Pricing: From $6.99 a month

Microsoft Word and Google Docs
Google Docs’ grammar editor

Both Microsoft Word and Google Docs have grammar-checking features built into them. If you’re a writer on a budget, don’t worry about the premium grammar checker tools in this review for now. Both of these punctuation checker tools will work just fine. 

Key Features

To use Word, you can install it on a select number of Windows and OS X computers once you buy the Microsoft 365 suite.

To use Google Docs, you can simply log in to your Google account from a browser and go to docs.google.com. You can use it on any computer and browser, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Chrome OS.

You could use both tools to catch typos and other mistakes before hitting publish or sending your writing to someone else. As you type, you’ll find a red line under errors which you can click or right-click and correct quickly. Word offers suggestions for synonyms and readability and synonyms. Google Docs provides spelling suggestions, as well.

MS Word comes as part of the Microsoft 365 package (Office 365), starting from $6.99 a month. This includes MS Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. Docs is free for use. You can also buy a G Suite “business” version at monthly plans that start at $5 per user.

Checking Grammar With Microsoft Word and Google Docs

You can check shorter articles using these tools. I recommend printing out longer articles and reading them aloud as another line of defense. You should also always hire a proofreader if you’re an author. These in-built grammar checkers won’t help you find and fix clichés, redundant writing, and so on.

Pros
  • Google Docs is free, and MS Word comes with the popular MS Office suite, which you’d be using for other purposes anyway.
  • Grammar check and spell check are inbuilt, so you needn’t copy and paste it any other tool.
  • Translate your text translated into 100 languages for free on Google Docs.
Cons
  • Both tools don’t have advanced grammar or style checks as like the other dedicated tools
  • Slower than using a dedicated grammar checker

8. SpellCheckPlus

Pricing: Free

SpellCheckPlus -grammar checker review
SpellCheckPlus’ grammar editor

Like Ginger, SpellCheckPlus will help you learn more about writing in a second language and the intricacies of writing.

Key Features

It is a virtual writing tutor and grammar checker that allows you to paste extracts of your work – up to 2,000 characters at a time. It scans your sections for complicated language, redundant words, and so on, etc.

SpellCheckPlus Review

I liked how SpellCheckPlus summarizes errors and also provides context. Unlike the other grammar checker tools in this post, it’s a barebones grammar checker for finding and fixing mistakes on the go.

You can’t add custom words to a dictionary, specify writing styles, etc. So, it’s less useful for fiction writers. You also can’t use it outside of a web browser.

I prefer using dedicated apps to check longer pieces of writing as I get distracted easily. This grammar checker is free and effective if you want to check shorter pieces of writing. If you want to check extracts longer than 2,000 characters, it costs $14.99 for a year. That’s an affordable price for most new writers.

Pros
  • Free for use
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • Works via a web-browser only
  • Feature-light
  • Lacks many writing reports

9. Hemingway Editor

Pricing: From free to $19.99

Hemingway Editor -grammar checker review
Hemingway App’s grammar editor

The American author Ernest Hemingway famously said:

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”

Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway Editor is built to help you write that true sentence and discard everything else.

Today, I rely on this tool and Grammarly the most for editing my work. I use Grammarly to check my articles and book chapters for mistakes. I also paste second and third drafts into Hemingway Editor while self-editing. Hemingway Editor highlights complex sentences in red, instances of the passive voice in green, and adverbs in blue. Deciding which sentence structure to fix or ignore is down to your taste and writing style. You can mouse over them for hints.

I use the highlights feature to identify what to find and fix while self-editing. Hemingway Editor doesn’t offer suggestions or provide context like this post’s other grammar checker tools. It does, however, help me write more clearly.

This virtual writing tutor is fast and efficient too. The desktop app doesn’t have any additional features. I like using it because I get distracted when writing within a web browser. To learn more, read our Hemingway app review.

Pros
  • Ideal for self-editing
  • Ideal for fiction and non-fiction writing
  • Complements Grammarly (or whatever tool you prefer
  • Free
Cons
  • Not a replacement for a dedicated grammar checker
  • Lacks insightful writing reports
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10. GrammarChecker

Pricing: Free

Grammarchecker.net -grammar checker review
GrammarChecker’s grammar editor

GrammarChecker is an online grammar tool that analyses your writing for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and stylistic errors.

Key Features

It rewrites shorter pieces of writing automatically. It finds suitable synonyms, swaps out words, and so on. The result is supposed to be SEO-friendly, plagiarism-free text. It supports many different languages, including French, Spanish, German, and Arabic.

GrammarChecker Review

I was uncomfortable with this tool as I like to review and reject edits manually. I also found the accuracy off-putting. It didn’t catch some grammar mistakes and errors in my work and inserted some odd words. To be honest, I’m not sure what type of writer would consider a paraphrasing tool like this useful, except for simple text rewrites.

Pros
  • Simple interface
  • Free
Cons
  • Accessible only via a web browser.
  • Not as powerful as other grammar checkers
  • No plagiarism checker, fancy reports etc.

11. Reverso

Pricing: Free

Reverso -grammar checker review
Reverso’s grammar editor

Reverso is an online translator and spelling and grammar-checking tool developed by Reverso-Softissimo.

Key Features

This tool can translate your text into different languages, including German, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, and more. Reverso works via a web browser, a Google Chrome plugin, and a Google Play and iPhone app. It works offline; you can speak words in the app if typing isn’t for you. Reverso provides corrections and suggestions, and more information via an in-built dictionary.

Reverso Review

As it has a word count limit of 600 characters, this online writing tutor helps check or translate shorter writing pieces. Examples include a brief email or a social media post.

I liked how I could check the definition of certain words and their synonyms via one or two clicks within Reverso. This is a valuable method for self-editing. Reverso also provides context that will help you learn English.

After digging, I found out the tool is powered by Ginger Software, which explains its support for non-English languages. It’s a valuable tool that works much like Ginger.

Pros
  • Easy to use mobile app
  • Useful for non-English writers
  • Free
Cons
  • Less features than other grammar checkers
  • Slow

12. Writer.Com

Pricing: $11 per month

Writer.com grammar editor
Writer.com’s grammar editor

Writer.com is a newer entry. It’s not an app for a novelist, a single writer maintaining a blog, an essay writer, etc. Instead, it’s ideal for marketing teams, brand agencies, social media managers, sales and HR departments, PR, and similar business-related writing tasks.

Like Grammarly Business, the tool offers a dedicated style guide and supports secure collaboration. It’s also cheaper than Grammarly.

Unlike other tools featured here, it works on nearly anything companies may use, including sales platforms, content management systems, and everyday writing apps like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

It also supports familiar email clients like Gmail and all major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It’ll be interesting to see if Writer.com can capture the same market share as Grammarly.

Writer.com has the potential to compete with Grammarly. It’s accurate and has some business security measures that other grammar checkers lack, like SOC2 and HIPPA compliance.

I particularly liked its style guide and user interface. However, it’s less well-known. It’s also less suitable for fiction writers and lone writers. I recommend considering this tool if Grammarly business is too expensive for your company. Read our Writer.com review.

Pros
  • A premium quality, styleguide checker
  • Allows business to build content rules
  • Cheaper than Grammarly
Cons
  • Not designed for fiction writers or single users
  • Takes time to set up properly

13. Style Writer

Pricing: $120

Style Writer
Style Writer’s grammar editor

Style Writer is a proofreading software for Windows, IOS, Mac, and Android devices.

Although its reports are insightful, Style Writer’s interface looks like something from the early 2000s. Still, the jargon eliminator is beneficial for copyeditors. You try it for free and don’t have to pay a monthly subscription. Read our Stylewriter vs Grammarly comparison.

Pros
  • Useful reports
  • Once-off payment
  • Handy jargon eliminator
Cons
  • Out of date interface
  • Some usability issues

14. Wordtune

Pricing: $9.99 per month

Wordtune
Wordtune’s grammar editor

Wordtune is a free web-based grammar checker. It also works as a Chrome plugin. It focuses on helping writers edit and revise sentences so they’re clear and concise, much like Hemingway Editor. Unfortunately, our reviewers found it missed many grammar mistakes compared to ProWritingAid and Grammarly. Read our Wordtune review.

Pros
  • Handy for paraphrasing
  • Affordable
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • Handy for paraphrasing
  • Affordable
  • Easy to use

15. Language Tool

Pricing: $29.95 per month

Langage Tool's editor
LanguageTool’s grammar editor

Language Tool is a popular grammar checker that claims customers at Amazon, Blinkist, and Fraunhofer SIT. We tested it extensively against Grammarly and found it missed some mistakes that Grammarly caught. 

That said, it’s a good choice if you write in different languages like Spanish, French, and German. Very few premium grammar checkers support languages outside of English. It also has a Libre Office extension alongside the usual array of web plugins and apps. The company is also based in Germany and claims GDPR compliance. Only a few grammar checkers in this review called out GDPR. Read our LanguageTool vs Grammarly comparison.

Pros
  • Supports non-English languages
  • Includes an API
  • GDPR-compliant
  • Offline (on-premise) version available
Cons
  • Comparatively pricey
  • No plagiarism checker
  • ​Not as accurate as Grammarly

16. Chegg

Pricing: $4.95 per month

Chegg review
A Chegg report

Chegg offers a grammar checker and a plagiarism checker, the latter of which is comparable to Turnitin. It can also fix formatting issues and sentence structure problems and improve readability. It also supports finding missing citations for essays and academic works, which is somewhat different from Grammarly. At $9.95 per month, it’s cheaper than most premium grammar checkers, but no free version is available. Read our Grammarly vs Chegg comparison.

Pros
  • Premium version is affordable
  • Comparable to TurnItIn
  • Users can ask an expert for advice, i.e., a human
Cons
  • No free version to try
  • Less suitable for those outside of academia

17. Paper rater

Pricing: $7.95 per month

PaperRater
PaperRater’s grammar editor

Paper Rater is a type of proofreading software owned by Barnes and Noble Education. Artificial intelligence helps students write better essays, papers, and articles. Basically, you can paste in or upload your essay. Our reviewer found that Grammarly identified more issues than Paper Rater. He also preferred how Grammarly enables writers to fix spelling and grammar mistakes with a click. Read our Paper Rater vs Grammarly comparison.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Built for students
Cons
  • Out of date user interface
  • Lacks the same level of apps, plugins and extensions

18. Outwrite

Pricing: Free to $24.95 per month

Outwrite
Outwrite’s grammar editor

Outwrite, previously named GradeProof, relies on algorithms and machine learning to recommend suggestions that improve the fluency and clarity of your work. It was founded by Nick Hough and Craig Sketchley in 2015.

Our reviewer liked its style improvement reports and ability to rewrite sentences. However, he found the plagiarism checker lacking. He also said the free plan is limited compared to other free options in this grammar checker round-up. To find out more, read our Grammarly vs Outwrite comparison.

Pros
  • Rewrites sentences quickly and easily
  • Discounted plans for teams available
Cons
  • Free version is limited
  • Plagiarism checker only allows for 50 checks per month

Our Testing Criteria

I started by using the most popular grammar checker tools today. I ran a small experiment to test different tools in this best grammar checker review.

I wrote a 600-word non-fiction article on the go in MS Word. It contained many grammatical errors and spelling errors. The MS Word online grammar checker found most of my errors, but it missed a few grammar mistakes, including a missing word in a sentence.

I bought the premium versions of these tools and pasted the article into the relevant app for Mac or Chrome. Then, I compared how each grammar-checking tool treated the text.

Later on, I experimented with the other tools referenced towards the end of this review, e.g. Reverso, SpellCheckPlus, and so on. That said, you can always go back to the old-school way of proofreading or hiring a writing tutor at any time – for a change. I also commissioned two freelance writers to test newer tools for the market. I’ve added their reviews to this piece.

Most of these tools have free versions. Although they have limited features, they will correct the most common grammar mistakes.

However, I recommend you go for a premium tool to ensure that you detect advanced instances of passive voice, subject-verb agreement, and other tricky errors. A free version might skip these. And they’re hard to spot manually.

How to Use A Grammar Corrector

A grammar corrector is a valuable writing tool for writers, bloggers, essayists, business people, and anyone who communicates with the written word.

They are also helpful if you spend time editing the work of other writers or need to check something in a hurry, for example, at work or before a deadline.

Unlike the standard grammar checker in MS Word or Google Docs, these tools perform a more in-depth grammar check. You can even create downloadable editing reports! Basically, a good English grammar corrector should help you fix:

  • Common spelling errors
  • Instances of the passive voice
  • Clunky and hard-to-understand language
  • Other common grammar errors like misplaced apostrophes, a misused word, or incorrect punctuation

To use one:

  • Write your social media post, email, blog post, article, or book chapter as normal.
  • Fix any spelling errors as you go.
  • Copy the text and paste it into one of the grammar correctors in this round-up.
  • Change the language of your tool to US or British English. Now, the checker will highlight potential localization issues.
  • Review the highlighted grammatical mistakes and associated suggestions.
  • Check if your work is properly cited with links and original content. Some of the premium tools in this guide include tools for this.
  • Alternatively, download the grammar suggestions and localized spelling suggestions as a report and send it to a writer or editor on your team to fix.

Remember, these tools aren’t a complete replacement for a human proofreader, particularly for longer projects. Most grammar-checking tools have features comparable to Grammarly. But there are some crucial differences as well.  Let’s see what they are.

How Grammar Checkers Support Proofreading

As you know, proofreading is a different skill set from writing. It’s difficult to spend hours working on a draft and then find and catch errors yourself. Much like the hiker who spends hours inside a forest, you won’t be able to see the woods from the trees.

These days, I use grammar checkers like the ones in this review to find errors fast. I also work with an editor who checks my articles and book chapters for mistakes and incorrect word choices. You can also proofread your writing using an old journalist trick! Here’s how:

  1. Change the font to Courier or Courier New.
  2. Change the spacing to double.
  3. Print your writing out.
  4. Get a red pen and mark it up.
  5. Read aloud, listening for clunky language.
  6. Edit as needed.

Thanks to this mono-spaced font and the extra white space, your eagle eye will spot issues like run-on sentences more accessible, and your ear will catch them. You can read aloud from the screen if it’s a shorter piece of writing. Ideally, you should:

  • Let your manuscript rest for a few hours or even days before you proofread it so you can approach it with fresh eyes.
  • Proofread in a quiet place with minimal noise, away from your computer.
  • Mark up your manuscript with a pen rather than fixing it as you read.
  • Read your manuscript backward (this pattern interrupt will help you find more errors).
  • Read your manuscript several times, each time looking for a different type of error, e.g. numeracy, clumsy sentences, etc.
  • Ask a colleague to proofread more essential documents.
  • Accept when you make a mistake: nobody is perfect; even newspapers print retractions and corrections.

Learn more about how to write without grammatical errors.

What About After the Deadline?

After The Deadline offered a popular WordPress plugin, which is now discontinued. This software was good for writers who want a free, basic alternative for spelling and grammar checks. It doesn’t have the advanced features and suggestions offered by choices here. As it’s no longer supported, I don’t recommend it.

Why You Can Trust Us

I’ve written dozens of articles for newspapers, magazines, and online publications, including Forbes and Lifehacker. I’m also a best-selling non-fiction author, a trained journalist, and a copywriter.

Grammar checker software forms a vital part of my writing workflow for non-fiction. I try and test the latest software regularly. I depend on it to improve my work and check work by freelance writers who publish content on this site.

What Is The Best Grammar Checker?

Grammarly is the best grammar checker for writers today due to its ease of use, price point, and feature set. We weren’t the only ones. Academics in this Research Gate thread also praised Grammarly.
ProWritingAid excels due to its writing reports. The antidote is ideal if you need offline access. We also like Quillbot due to its citation manager.

Always work with a human proofreader for longer works, like a book chapter or a lengthy article. Having worked on a large company translation project, I’d caution against relying solely on software to translate your writing from your language of choice to English.

Much like any book editing tool, a virtual writing tutor is helpful. But I don’t consider it a replacement for common sense or a set of human eyes. Instead, these products are just one of many that belong in your toolbox. In short, test the free versions of any of these tools and then decide which fits best with the way you work—or write.

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Grammar Checker FAQs

Who needs a grammar checker?

Any writer who takes their craft seriously should use a grammar checker. They will help you find and fix errors faster. Remember to hire a proofreader for longer pieces of writing.

Is a grammar checker safe to use?

Unless you’re writing something legally or commercially sensitive, then yes. A good grammar checker won’t monitor your content. As an example, check out Grammarly’s Privacy Policy. If your document is legally sensitive, a grammar checker is unlikely to help you.

Is Grammarly a reliable grammar checker?

Grammarly is regularly updated and accurate. It contains useful features for most writers.

What is a good free grammar checker?

The free version of Grammarly is a good grammar checker that works everywhere.

Does Microsoft Word have a grammar checker?

Yes! Use the Editor Button on the Home Tab. This writing tutor does the job if you’re on a budget. That said, consider printing out or hiring a proofreader for books or longer pieces.

What grammar checkers work with Word?

You can add Grammarly directly into Word and Microsoft Office by downloading their official add-in. Then, check your writing without leaving the app. Word also supports Microsoft Editor, which is a good choice if you’re an Office365 customer.

Author

  • Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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